Nine Sikhs joined the Canadian Army and fought in World War I in France [Images] and Belgium.

This has been discovered by Canadian film maker David Gray who reportedly stumbled on this material while researching for his documentary 'Sikh-Canadian Heroes of the First World War' to be released later this year.

A report in the Toronto Star (October 10) has published the enrolment form of one John Singh, 35, who have been described as belonging to 'Sikh temple'. 

The report says the first Sikhs are believed to have come to Canada [Images] after British Empire soldiers travelled to London [Images] in 1897 to take part in Queen Victoria's diamond jubilee.

These Sikh soldiers reportedly returned to India via Canada and some settled here, finding work in lumber and later in railway building.

Gray was reportedly researching the material for his documentary on laborers from China and India who worked in quarries near Victoria, British Columbia from 1904-1920. 

He found nine Sikhs, each with surname Singh, enlisted in the Canadian army after the imperial declaration of war against Germany [Images] and her allies on August 4, 1914. 

Those recruits reportedly ranged from 22 to 35.

Eight of them served overseas, with two reportedly killed in action.  Another died later of his battlefield wounds. 

'I found one of the soldiers joined the Canadian Corps of Commissioners after he retired,' Gray is quoted as saying.